Denise O’Leary of Purpol Marketing Wins NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Award’s #GoDo Entrepreneur of the Year

Denise O’Leary joined entrepreneurs and business directors from all over Wales and the West on November 1st to celebrate the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Award’s, and took home the coveted title of ‘#GoDo Entrepreneur of the Year 2017’
Now in its fifth year, the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards recognises the hard work and inspiring stories of British entrepreneurs, rather than just their financial success.

Those shortlisted and their guests gathered at the Mercure Holland House, Cardiff for the glittering ceremony, having been selected from well over a thousand entries received across the five regions, a three-fold increase on the number of entries received last year.

Judges included Hayley Parsons OBE, founder of GoCompare.com, and serial entrepreneur James Caan CBE. The Awards ceremony celebrated businesses across 11 categories, from Family Business of the Year to Entrepreneurs’ Champion of the Year. The ceremony saw Wynne Evans present the awards to the inspirational entrepreneurs who enjoyed a night of celebration and success.

The ‘#GoDo Entrepreneur of the Year’ award is a significant win for Denise who started Purpol Marketing in 2014 and is now helping companies leverage marketing expertise to win £100m+ projects.
She brings 17+ years-worth of experience and insight to her clients and has grown her self-funded start up from a one woman show to a successful business that now employs four people and is constantly expanding and developing.

This award recognised entrepreneurs who lead the way for their business – individuals who are all about getting things done and leading the charge! It celebrated those who showcase an outstanding ability to take action and be strong in their leadership, who have a hunger for opportunity and a growth mindset where being challenged and finding solutions to various problems is second nature.

When asked about the evening, Denise said: ‘Our category was the first to be called up of the night and when they called my name as the #GoDo Entrepreneur Winner I was in shock! I was proud to have been selected as a finalist so to have been selected as the overall winner is just amazing! I even got serenaded back to the stage by Wynne and feel honored to have been chosen out of such an amazing group of people. It was a perfect evening of celebration and encouragement!’

Founder of the NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Francesca James, said:
“This has been a really tough year for our judges, as not only have we seen more entries than ever before, but the standard of entries has also been the best ever. We’ve had an incredibly tough job narrowing down the winners from such a strong shortlist. “The winning entrepreneurs have made a huge impact on entrepreneurship in their region and the wider UK economy and we hope that winning an award will help give them the recognition they thoroughly deserve.”
Francesca added: “We’d like to thank all of the entrepreneurs who entered this year, and send huge congratulations to those who have taken home awards. We look forward to seeing what the next year brings for you.”

Gordon Merrylees, Head of Entrepreneurship for NatWest, said:
“NatWest is incredibly proud to support these important awards, it has been so inspiring to see the number and calibre of entries this year which proves that the entrepreneurial spirit is live and well in Wales and the South West. “I want extend my huge congratulations to all the winners of this years’ categories and hope that their businesses continue to grow in the future.”

We are delighted to be members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM), Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Inspire and Business West Chambers of Commerce, and Enterprise Nation.

We are delighted to support Business against Poverty as an Ethical Business Member.